A self-taught musician, McCartney is proficient on bass, guitar, keyboards, and drums. He is known for his melodic approach to bass-playing (mainly playing with a plectrum), his versatile and wide tenor vocal range (spanning over four octaves), and his eclecticism (exploring styles ranging from pre-rock and roll pop to classical and electronica). McCartney began his career as a member of the Quarrymen in 1957, which evolved into the Beatles in 1960. Starting with the 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, he gradually became the Beatles' de facto leader, providing the creative impetus for most of their music and film projects. His Beatles songs "And I Love Her" (1964), "Yesterday" (1965), "Eleanor Rigby" (1966) and "Blackbird" (1968) rank among the most covered songs in history.
In 1970, McCartney debuted as a solo artist with the album McCartney. Throughout the 1970s, he led Wings, one of the most successful bands of the decade, with more than a dozen international top 10 singles and albums. McCartney resumed his solo career in 1980. Since 1989, he has toured consistently as a solo artist. In 1993, he formed the music duo the Fireman with Youth of Killing Joke. Beyond music, he has taken part in projects to promote international charities related to such subjects as animal rights, seal hunting, land mines, vegetarianism, poverty, and music education.
McCartney is one of the most successful composers and performers of all time. He has written or co-written 32 songs that have reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and as of 2009, had sales of 25.5 million RIAA-certified units in the United States. His honours include two inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (as a member of the Beatles in 1988 and as a solo artist in 1999), 18 Grammy Awards, an appointment as a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1965, and a knighthood in 1997 for services to music. As of 2020, he is also one of the wealthiest musicians in the world, with an estimated fortune of ÂŁ800 million.
Best known for primarily using a plectrum or pick, McCartney occasionally plays fingerstyle. He was strongly influenced by Motown artists, in particular James Jamerson, whom McCartney called a hero for his melodic style. He was also influenced by Brian Wilson, as he commented: "because he went to very unusual places". Another favourite bassist of his is Stanley Clarke. McCartney's skill as a bass player has been acknowledged by bassists including Sting, Dr. Dre bassist Mike Elizondo, and Colin Moulding of XTC.
During McCartney's early years with the Beatles, he primarily used a Höfner 500/1 bass, although from 1965, he favoured his Rickenbacker 4001S for recording. While typically using Vox amplifiers, by 1967, he had also begun using a Fender Bassman for amplification. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, he used a Wal 5-String, which he said made him play more thick-sounding basslines, in contrast to the much lighter Höfner, which inspired him to play more sensitively, something he considers fundamental to his playing style. He changed back to the Höfner around 1990 for that reason. He uses Mesa Boogie bass amplifiers while performing live.
McCartney was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 as a member of the Beatles and again as a solo artist in 1999. In 1979, the Guinness Book of World Records recognised McCartney as the "most honored composer and performer in music", with 60 gold discs (43 with the Beatles, 17 with Wings) and, as a member of the Beatles, sales of over 100 million singles and 100 million albums, and as the "most successful song writer", he wrote jointly or solo 43 songs which sold one million or more records between 1962 and 1978. In 2009, Guinness World Records again recognised McCartney as the "most successful songwriter" having written or co-written 188 charted records in the United Kingdom, of which 91 reached the top 10 and 33 made it to number one.
McCartney has written, or co-written, 32 number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100: twenty with the Beatles; seven solo or with Wings; one as a co-writer of "A World Without Love", a number-one single for Peter and Gordon; one as a co-writer on Elton John's cover of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"; one as a co-writer on Stars on 45's "Medley"; one as a co-writer with Michael Jackson on "Say Say Say"; and one as writer on "Ebony and Ivory" performed with Stevie Wonder. As of 2009, he has 15.5 million RIAA certified units in the United States as a solo artist plus another 10 million with Wings.
Credited with more number ones in the UK than any other artist, McCartney has participated in twenty-four chart topping singles: seventeen with the Beatles, one solo, and one each with Wings, Stevie Wonder, Ferry Aid, Band Aid, Band Aid 20 and "The Christians et al." He is the only artist to reach the UK number one as a soloist ("Pipes of Peace"), duo ("Ebony and Ivory" with Wonder), trio ("Mull of Kintyre", Wings), quartet ("She Loves You", the Beatles), quintet ("Get Back", the Beatles with Billy Preston) and as part of a musical ensemble for charity (Ferry Aid).
"Yesterday" is one of the most covered songs in history with more than 2,200 recorded versions, and according to the BBC, "the track is the only one by a UK writer to have been aired more than seven million times on American TV and radio and is third in the all-time list ... [and] is the most played song by a British writer [last] century in the US". His 1968 Beatles composition "Hey Jude" achieved the highest sales in the UK that year and topped the US charts for nine weeks, which is longer than any other Beatles single. It was also the longest single released by the band and, at seven minutes eleven seconds, was at that time the longest number one. "Hey Jude" is the best-selling Beatles single, achieving sales of over five million copies soon after its release.
In July 2005, McCartney's performance of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" with U2 at Live 8 became the fastest-released single in history. Available within forty-five minutes of its recording, hours later it had achieved number one on the UK Official Download Chart.
In December 2020, the release of his album McCartney III and its subsequent charting at number 2 on the US Billboard 200 earned McCartney the feat of being the first artist to have a new album in the top two chart positions in each of the last six decades.
The End of the End
Paul McCartney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's the start of a journey
To a much better place
And this wasn't bad
So a much better place
Would have to be special
No need to be sad
And stories of old to be rolled out like carpets
That children have played on
And laid on while listening to stories of old
At the end of the end
It's the start of a journey
To a much better place
And a much better place
Would have to be special
No reason to cry
On the day that I die I'd like bells to be rung
And songs that were sung to be hung out like blankets
That lovers have played on
And laid on while listening to songs that were sung
At the end of the end
It's the start of a journey
To a much better place
And a much better place
Would have to be special
No reason to cry
No need to be sad
At the end of the end
The song "The End of the End" by Paul McCartney is a reflective piece about death, but it's delivered in a hopeful and even joyful way. McCartney sings about his desire for his passing to be celebrated with stories, jokes, and music. He believes that this life was already good, so the next journey must be even better. There's no need to be sad, as he imagines himself moving on to "a much better place" and leaving behind all the troubles of the world. The song's message is ultimately one of comfort, reassurance, and even excitement.
The lyrics are open to interpretation, but they seem to reflect McCartney's outlook on life and death. He doesn't fear the end but instead embraces it as a new beginning. Much like his work with The Beatles and his successful solo career, he seems to approach death with a sense of wonder, grace, and a touch of humor. The song is a testament to McCartney's philosophy on life, which is that it's a precious gift to be cherished and enjoyed while you can.
Line by Line Meaning
At the end of the end
Death is the end of our earthly journey
It's the start of a journey
Death marks the beginning of a journey to a better place
To a much better place
Death brings us to a place where we are released from suffering
And this wasn't bad
Life is not bad, but death brings the possibility of something better
So a much better place
A new world after death would have to be exceptional to be an improvement
Would have to be special
The next phase of existence must be unique and wonderful
No need to be sad
It's not necessary to feel sad knowing death is an entry to a happier state
On the day that I die I'd like jokes to be told
The artist would like humor and happiness to surround the day of their death
And stories of old to be rolled out like carpets
They wish to hear tales of history shared like a welcome mat for loved ones
That children have played on
The stories may have been like toys to the attentive ears of children
And laid on while listening to stories of old
Laid on mats or beds, taken away by stories of the past
At the end of the end
Death is a constant, as is the start of a new beginning
No reason to cry
Crying is not necessary thought of as life's reward is yet to come
On the day that I die I'd like bells to be rung
The singer wishes for a joyous celebration at the time of their passing
And songs that were sung to be hung out like blankets
They want the songs sung throughout a lifetime to be remembered like cherished fabric
That lovers have played on
Songs that lift and settle the hearts of the ones we love
And laid on while listening to songs that were sung
To be remembered as a memory of comfort or happiness
No need to be sad
There is no need for sadness as something better will follow
At the end of the end
The end begins a different journey that is not without its own special beauty
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: PAUL MCCARTNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Taaykaaz29
When Paul passes, I will be crushed. I'll cry about it for the rest of my life. He's my whole world. He's been my musical father, best friend, and I feel like he's telling me it's okay sometimes when I listen to him. This song makes me so emotional. đđȘâ€ïž
maddiemae
Me too, couldnât agree more⊠when he said âno need to cryâ it was too late bc Iâm already sobbing đ
And I donât cry at stuff too easily
uwu
If they hold a wake when I die, I would like this played. I'm the Paul should not be allowed to die guy
Michael Moffett
What is truly a pity is the absence on the airwaves of this masterful artist. He should be all over them. Ironically, McCartney is viewed by many as a lightweight capable of nothing but fluff and silly love songs when, in fact, his material over the last three decades is just too mature for the conventions of radio and television. Could be that generations of the future will have a different vantage point and see McCartney in the same brilliant light as Mozart and Shubert.
Paul Childs
Beautifully put sir. And so true.
TanteA
I totally agree.
TuPanaViajero
The new series Get Back from Peter Jackson is a prove of what you say
bnklevit
My mom's service is today and I've listened to this song about 6 times getting ready for it. I'm prepared as well as I can be. Thank you, Paul.
Lizzie Schmitz
My dad sang this at my grandfathers funeral. A moment I will never forget.
ClueSign
Overlooked masterpiece, stunning and perfect; not a note out of place.